At St John Bosco College Engadine, students are offered a high quality Religious Education curriculum where they are invited into a deeper relationship with God through a variety of learning experiences. Religious Education is a compulsory subject for all students in Year 7-12.
There are THREE courses in Religious Education offered at the College. First and foremost, is the Religion, Catholic Studies Course, a course written by the Catholic Education Office of the Sydney Archdiocese and endorsed by the NSW Board of Studies. All students in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 undertake Religion, Catholic Studies.
Students undertaking the Stage 6 Religious Education curriculum have three options to choose from:
Religion, Catholic Studies
Studies of Religion I
Studies of Religion II
While all outcomes of the Studies of Religion I and II syllabus are covered in class, so too, are outcomes from the corresponding Religion, Catholic Studies modules. These outcomes have been identified and written into the programs for the Studies of Religion courses. Thus, everything taught in these courses is done so from the perspective of the Catholic Church.
All courses are assessed using a wide-range of Assessment for Learning tasks including ICT Communication, Research, Scripture Analysis, Oral Communication, Media Study, Writing Tasks and Formal Examinations.
Year 7-12 Catholic Studies
In the Year 7-12 Catholic Studies Course, learning experiences in the classroom are centred on the following focus areas:
Scripture and Jesus
Church and Community
God, Religion and Life
Prayer, Liturgy and Sacraments
Morality and Justice
All students use the textbook To Know, Worship and Love as part of their studies. Furthermore, RE teachers work to develop engaging and varied learning experiences where students learn about the Catholic faith through ICT, discussion, group work, individual learning opportunities and several prayer and liturgical experiences.
Stage 6 Studies of Religion I and II
The Stage 6 Studies of Religion courses are highly rigorous courses which are aimed for students who have a strong interest in the study of Religious Education.
In the Year 11 Preliminary Course, students study the following:
| Studies of Religion I | Studies of Religion II |
|---|---|
| Nature of Religion and Beliefs | Nature of Religion and Beliefs |
| Religious Tradition Study – CHRISTIANITY | Religious Tradition Study – JUDAISM |
| Religious Tradition Study - BUDDHISM | Religious Tradition Study – CHRISTIANITY |
| Preliminary Course Structure | Religious Tradition Study – BUDDHISM |
| Religions of Ancient Origin | |
| Religion in Australia pre-1945 |
Through their learning experiences, students explore the history and origin of religions, key religious figures, sacred texts and writings, core beliefs, core ethical teachings and prayer experiences for adherents.
In the Year 12 HSC Course, students study the following:
| Studies of Religion I | Studies of Religion II |
|---|---|
| Religion & Belief Systems in Australia post-1945 | Religion & Belief Systems in Australia post-1945 |
| Depth Study 1 – CHRISTIANITY | Depth Study 1 – JUDAISM |
| Depth Study 2 - BUDDHISM | Depth Study 2 – CHRISTIANITY |
| HSC Course Structure | Depth Study 3 – BUDDHISM |
| Religion and Non-Religion | |
| Religion and Peace |
It is through these learning opportunities that students explore significant people, ethical issues and significant practices as part of their study and the impact they have on religious adherents. Students also study contemporary Aboriginal spiritualities and religious expression from 1945 to the present.